Plot: What’s it about?
Writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is on tour promoting his latest novel, “Tenebrae.” His travels have brought him to Rome, a very unusual series of murders begins to unfold. As the bodies keep piling up, it becomes obvious that someone is using Neal’s book as a guide of sorts. Each murder can somehow be related and traced to an event inside Neal’s novel. Hapless as ever, the police have nothing going for them, so Neal agrees to help them capture the killer and end the spree. As the case continues, the killings become more violent and brutal, and no one is sure how to solve this mystery. But with Neal, his assistant and agent, and the police force cracking down, the killer is bound to surface. How many more innocent people will die before someone can track down the killer and end his/her reign of terror?
Anchor Bay has returned to Tenebre, to revamp it in honor of their Dario Argento box set. As before, this is the uncut version with some decent supplements, but now, the transfer is anamorphic. The improvement is minor however, so I don’t know how driven fans will be to upgrade. While not as creepy or weird as some of Argento’s flicks, this one surely is a joy to watch. The storyline is quite good, and dialogue is better here than any other Argento film. This is a very good movie which takes Argento off the gore driven path a bit, focusing on the plot more. But there is blood, don’t be fooled, just not as much. You really can’t find a more stylish horror master than Argento, and this is a movie that should not be missed. While this new transfer isn’t much of a step up, the movie itself is recommended, so don’t miss Tenebre.
While you might not recognize even a single name on the cast list, this group does a wonderful job of fleshing out the movie’s atmosphere. Anthony Franciosa garners some serious screen time, and he fills his character’s shoes very well. While the name might not be familiar, Franciosa has been in a fair amount of movies, such as Death Wish 2 and Web of the Spider. Also giving noteworthy acting turns are John Saxon (From Dusk ‘Til Dawn, A Nightmare on Elm Street) and horror movie regular Daria Nicolodi (Shock, Inferno). The supporting cast includes Mirella D’Angelo, Giuiliano Gemma (Battleforce), and John Steiner (Yor, the Hunter from the Future).
Video: How does it look?
Tenebre is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I was pleased to see this title revisited for anamorphic enhancement, but is the upgrade worthwhile? In truth, I was let down here. This just seems to be an anamorphic version of the previous transfer, as the visuals haven’t been updated otherwise. I do think there is a slight improvement in terms of refinement, but most of the flaws have returned from the previous edition. At the time, I was impressed with the visuals, but with how far DVD has come, this just doesn’t stand up well now, even with the anamorphic update.
Audio: How does it sound?
The same Dolby Digital 5.1 English dub returns, but that is good news. You’ll hear active elements all through the movie, especially during the gruesome murder scenes. Not wanting to be left out, the dialogue makes a commanding and consistent presence as well. The audio really makes the viewing experience enhanced, compared to hiss laden mono soundtracks I’ve heard from earlier home video incarnations. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround option, as well as an Italian mono soundtrack. No subtitles have been provided.
Supplements: What are the extras?
All of the extras have returned, as well as a new featurette titled Voices of the Unsane. The piece runs only seventeen minutes, but has some great interviews. Argento is here, as are other prominent cast and crew members, all sharing their memories of the production. The good and the bad are covered here, so Voices of the Unsane proves to be an insightful, candid piece. The rest of the goodies are ported over from the old version, but are still welcome of course. Argento’s audio comments with Claudio Simonetti and Loris Curci is still rather lackluster, but has a couple worthwhile moments. This disc also includes two featurettes, alternate end credit music, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
